LEGISLATION, POLICIES AND RESEARCH: QUEENSLAND

REMOTE SENSING CENTRE SUPPORTING GREAT BARRIER

REEF CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES
Dan Tindall and Christian Witte
Remote Sensing Centre
Environment and Resource Sciences
Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management
80 Meiers Rd, Indooroopilly, Queensland, 4068
07 3896 9886
dan.tindall@derm.qld.gov.au

Abstract
The Great Barrier Reef and the catchments that drain into it are under threat
from many factors, including land degradation and poor water quality.
Significant amounts of natural and artificial contaminants are entering the Reef,
primarily from agricultural land use. This is impacting on the health of the Reef
and affecting its resilience to human-induced and climate change related
impacts. The Federal and Queensland State governments have responded to
these threats through The Great Barrier Reef Water Quality Protection Plan
(which includes the Paddock to Reef Program) and the Great Barrier Reef
Protection Amendment Act 2009. Activities supported by these initiatives are
focused on on-ground restoration works, improved land management practices
and increased capacity to monitor paddock and catchment scale outcomes.
The Queensland Remote Sensing Centre (RSC) has been tasked with a
number of projects that will utilise hyper-temporal and multi-resolution satellite
and airborne imagery to produce information that will support these activities.
These include: developing time-series techniques for classification and analysis
of satellite imagery to monitor seasonal and management-induced changes in
woody and non-woody vegetation cover; mapping and monitoring riparian
vegetation extent; mapping gully erosion and volumetric change using high-
resolution satellite and airborne imagery; mapping current land use and
identifying areas of land use change; and, assessing the feasibility of using
remote sensing to monitor selected land management practices in sugar cane
cropping. These projects will also be underpinned by large image acquisition
projects which will include high-resolution imagery (e.g. SPOT), airborne
LiDAR, radar (e.g. ALOS PALSAR) and download, storage and maintenance of
large amounts of archival Landsat data from the USGS. The projects, and the
methods developed for them, will also support other State and Federal policy
and planning initiatives. This paper provides the background for the projects
and a summary of the research being undertaken.

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Introduction
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage Area contributes
significantly to our economy locally, regionally and nationally. It is the world’s
largest system of coral reefs and is home to extensive seagrass beds,
mangrove forests, sponge gardens and a vast range of marine animals. Land
and water management practices in the Reef catchments (Figure 1) affect
water quality in local waterways, wetlands, estuaries and the Reef lagoon. Over
the last 150 years, activities on the land have undergone extensive changes for
urban development, agricultural production, tourism and mining. These
changes have led to declining water quality (e.g. Brodie et al., 2003; McCulloch
et al., 2003; Bainbridge et al., 2009; Brodie et al., 2009; Packett et al., 2009;
Shaw et al., 2010) in waterways that flow into the Reef lagoon (Reef Water
Quality Protection Plan Secretariat, 2009) and have also impacted land
condition (e.g. Hughes et al., 2009; Prosser et al., 2001; Rassam et al., 2006;
DERM, 2007), agricultural sustainability (e.g. Reef Water Quality Protection
Plan Secretariat, 2009), biodiversity (e.g. Gordon, 2007; Pert et al., in press),
and the resilience of the Reef to the effects of climate change (e.g. Wooldridge
et al., 2009). The Australian and Queensland Governments have responded to
these threats with legislation and policies backed by significant funding to
undertake a range of practical, research and monitoring activities.

Figure 1. The location of the Great Barrier Reef and adjoining catchments,
Queensland, Australia. (Source: Reef Water Quality Protection Plan, 2009)

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The Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management’s
(DERM) Remote Sensing Centre (RSC) has been tasked with a number of
projects to support the various programs, policies, legislation and strategies
surrounding the management of the Reef. These projects will utilise the
substantial capacity of the RSC to store, process and analyse remotely sensed
imagery. The outputs from the projects will be used to: monitor progress
towards catchment condition targets; provide data for sediment and nutrient
modelling projects; improve landscape knowledge and land condition
assessments; and, undertake monitoring for extension and regulatory activities
and for targeting and evaluation of on-ground investments. This paper will
summarise these projects in the context of the support they are providing for
Reef-related activities. Many of the projects referenced here are the subject of
papers in these conference proceedings (denoted by *). The reader is
encouraged to refer to these references for more detailed information.

Reef conservation and management initiatives

Reef Rescue
The Reef Rescue package (www.nrm.gov.au/funding/2008/reef-rescue) is an initiative
driven by key outcomes and targets identified by the Australian Governments’
Caring For Our Country (CfoC) Business Plan (Commonwealth of Australia,
2010). It is a $200 million, 5 year commitment, aimed at reducing the amount of
nutrients, chemicals and sediments entering the Reef lagoon by assisting
farmers and graziers in Reef catchments to adopt land management practices
that improve the quality of the water leaving their properties. Investments under
Reef Rescue are guided by Reef science and target those areas and activities
that pose a significant and immediate threat to the water quality of the Reef
lagoon (Commonwealth of Australia, 2009).

Reef Plan
The (Great Barrier) Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (Reef Water Quality
Protection Plan Secretariat, 2009) is a bilateral agreement between the State
and Federal Government, first introduced in 2003, to build on existing
government programs and community initiatives to encourage a more
coordinated and cooperative approach to improving water quality. Reef Plan
was updated in 2009 and incorporated new policy and regulatory frameworks. It
also included new objectives, actions and measurable targets, supported by
initiatives for industry and landholders to improve land management practices
and water quality. The targets and actions address adoption of improved land
management practices, and land condition and water quality indicators
including: condition and extent of riparian vegetation and wetlands; ground
cover maintenance; pesticide usage; and, nutrient and sediment generation.
Importantly, these actions and targets will be underpinned by comprehensive
mapping, modelling, monitoring and evaluation based on science, including
remote sensing.

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The Reef Protection Act
The Great Barrier Reef Protection Amendment Act 2009 (Queensland
Government, 2009a) was introduced by the Queensland Government to
implement a regulatory structure to reduce the impact of agricultural activities
on the quality of water entering the Great Barrier Reef and contribute to
achieving the targets under agreements between the State and Commonwealth
(i.e. Reef Plan) (Queensland Government, 2009b). The legislation, an
amendment to the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Queensland
Government, 2010a), targets land use and management practices, specifically
grazing and sugar cane production. The Reef Protection Act is supported by an
incentives and extension program, named ReefWise Farming
(www.reefwisefarming.qld.gov.au) aimed at improving agricultural practices and
ensuring adherence by land managers to regulatory guidelines. The Act
therefore has a number of commonalities with Reef Plan and Reef Rescue,
particularly with regards to monitoring and evaluation activities. There is an
expectation that remote sensing will have a key role in these activities.

Q2 Coasts and Country

The Queensland Government is investing in long term solutions to
environmental and natural resource threats. The Q2 Coasts and Country
program is being implemented to address areas such as biodiversity, wetlands,
water quality, coastal risk, sustainable agriculture and weeds and pest
management. This investment will support the sustainable management of
natural resources and protection of significant natural assets.

Other policies, legislation and strategies

A number of other policies, legislation and strategies are also in place in
Queensland and many of them support Reef initiatives either directly or
indirectly. These include: the State Rural Leasehold Land Strategy (Delbessie
Agreement) (DERM, 2007) under the Land Act 1994 (Queensland Government,
2010b) which requires leasehold land managers to enter into a land
management agreement as part of their lease conditions to encourage
sustainable agricultural practices; the Vegetation Management Act 1999
(Queensland Government, 2010c) and subsequent amendments which is
aimed at conserving native vegetation and addressing land degradation;
various water resource planning (e.g. DERM, 2010a) and water quality
improvement planning processes specified under Reef Plan (e.g. North
Queensland Dry Tropics, 2009); Natural Resource Management Plans which
are prepared by regional NRM bodies to identify regional targets and incentives
for sustainable natural resource management (e.g. North Queensland Dry
Tropics, 2005; Fitzroy Basin Association, 2005); and, various local and state
government planning initiatives.

The Queensland Remote Sensing Centre and the Joint Remote Sensing
Research Program
The RSC is based in Brisbane and is comprised of approximately 40 remote
sensing scientists. In addition, there are a number of spatial scientists in

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regional centres contributing to RSC programs. The charter of the RSC is to
undertake remote sensing research and to develop and undertake operational
mapping activities to support state government policies and programs. The
capacity of the RSC is expanded through the Joint Remote Sensing Research
Program (JRSRP), a joint research agreement between the RSC, University of
Queensland (UQ), New South Wales Department of Environment, Climate
Change and Water (DECCW). It is expected that the Victorian Department of
Sustainability and Environment will become a partner to the program in the near
future. Other state, national and international collaborations further enhance the
expertise and capacity of the group.

Imagery and image pre-processing

The RSC and JRSRP are supported by high performance computing
infrastructure for the storage, maintenance, (pre-)processing and analysis of
imagery and related data sources. The foundation of the RSC’s image archive
and research is a collection of historical and recent Landsat data sourced from
the Geoscience Australia’s National Earth Observation Group (NEOG) and,
more recently, from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Other
imagery includes MODIS, SPOT 4 and 5 (including recently acquired SPOT 5
imagery purchased by the Australian Government Department of Climate
Change with the licence uplifted using Q2 Coasts to Country funding to include
all levels of government), IKONOS, Quickbird, LiDAR, ALOS PALSAR, IceSAT,
and aerial photography.
Image archiving and processing is primarily based around in-house
programming utilising open source development environments including
PostGIS, QGIS, GDAL/OGR, Python and R (Trevithick and Gillingham, 2010*).
Image pre-processing and corrections (radiometric, geometric, topographic and
atmospheric) are based on extensive collaborative research efforts, with
particular consideration given to environmental conditions in Queensland and
Australia. For example, Danaher et al. (2002) developed an empirical model for
correction of Landsat imagery based on seasonal illumination and reflectance
conditions in Queensland. This method has formed the basis of most of the
RSC’s operational applications using Landsat imagery over the past few years.
This method is currently being improved by Gill et al. (2010*) to produce a pre-
processing scheme for minimising atmospheric, topographic and bi-directional
reflectance effects on Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 7 ETM+ imagery. The result,
which has been successfully applied to over 15,000 Landsat images, is surface
reflectance standardised to a fixed viewing and illumination geometry (Figure
2). In other research undertaken by the RSC, Pringle et al. (2009) have
developed a technique to infill missing values in Landsat 7 ETM+ SLC-off
imagery based on a geostatistical interpolation approach. The corrected
imagery from all of these research efforts is fundamental to RSC/JRSRP
applications and will further facilitate development of time-series applications
and comparative assessments that will underpin a number of Reef projects.

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 Figure 2. At-sensor radiance (top) and standardised surface reflectance (bottom)
Landsat 5 TM mosaics for the state of Queensland. Images are false colour
composites of bands 5, 4, 2 shown as red, green, and blue respectively. (Source: Gill
et al., 2010*)

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Other imagery such as LiDAR and radar (e.g. ALOS PALSAR) will also be
fundamental to ongoing reef monitoring activities and other key programs in
Queensland. For example, Lucas et al. (in review) have developed ALOS
PALSAR backscatter mosaics for Queensland. Their research, a collaborative
effort between the RSC/JRSRP, the University of Aberystwyth in Wales and the
Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), has addressed the influence
of surface moisture, rainfall and incidence angle on overlapping scenes and
scenes acquired at different dates. Their research has enabled large area,
annual mosaics to be developed for a range of applications (Figure 3).

Figure 3. ALOS PALSAR L-band backscatter annual mosaics generated for

Queensland. The soil and vegetation moisture over the respective periods of the ALOS
PALSAR acquisitions are also shown (© JAXA/METI) (Source: Lucas et al., in review)

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Recent acquisitions of both airborne and ground-based LiDAR for various Reef
program applications have advanced RSCs knowledge of LiDAR sensor
characteristics, data pre-processing and maintenance. These high-resolution
datasets are critical to RSC for calibration of remote sensing applications
including foliage projective cover measurements, and change monitoring in
erosional landscapes.

Monitoring vegetation and landscape condition for Reef programs

The Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) and vegetation compliance
The Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) (http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/slats/;
Shephard and Harris, 2010*) has been a landmark program for the RSC for a
number of years. The study has been monitoring and reporting on annual rates
of land cover change in Queensland since 1988, using Landsat TM and ETM+
satellite imagery (Figure 4). The study supports key legislation in Queensland,
the Vegetation Management Act, 1999, including compliance investigations
(Anderson et al., 2010*). The data produced by the study have supported the
recent development of policies and legislation in Reef catchments for the
management of high value regrowth and riparian vegetation. The data is also
used for updating Regional Ecosystem (RE) (http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/wildlife-
ecosystems/biodiversity/regional_ecosystems/index.php) and wetland mapping undertaken
by the Queensland Herbarium and the Queensland Wetlands Programme
(http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/wetlandinfo/site/index.html) and to inform land use change
detection for the Queensland Land Use Mapping Program (QLUMP) (Grounds
and Tindall, 2010*). Both projects are providing fundamental baseline
information to Reef programs.

2003 2004 land cover change

Figure 4. Example of SLATS land cover change detection process. (Imagery: Landsat
TM 5,4,2)

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Foliage Projective Cover
The Foliage Projective Cover (FPC) product (Armston et al., 2009; Kitchen et
al., 2010*) developed by the RSC/JRSRP is key to a number of Reef-related
projects. The dataset is produced by multiple linear regression techniques
combined with manual thresholding and field data applied to Landsat time-
series imagery to produce optimised estimates of wooded extent and cover for
all of Queensland (and NSW) (Figure 5). These data are a key component of
the SLATS land cover change detection methods and have formed the basis for
reporting on the extent of riparian vegetation for one of the catchment condition
targets identified by Reef Plan. The FPC product is also a key input to the
catchment-scale water quality modelling for the Reef Plans’ Paddock to Reef
Modelling Program (P2R Program) (Reef Water Quality Protection Plan
Secretariat, 2009). The P2R Programs’ catchment-scale modelling is based on
the universal soil loss equation, and includes the cover factor (K) for which the
RSCs FPC and ground cover products are used. These data also support land
condition assessments for the Delbessie Agreement, the development of
policies and legislation for management of regrowth and riparian vegetation in
Reef catchments, various biodiversity management initiatives, and aquatic
condition assessments in selected waterways in Reef catchments as part of the
Framework for the Assessment of River and Wetland Health (FARWH)
(Simpson, 2010*). The data has also been used to estimate wooded biomass
for carbon accounting programs (DERM, 2010b).
Further improvements to FPC estimates are currently being developed by the
RSC/JRSRP in support of the Reef monitoring and evaluation program. One of
the aims of this research was to improve ground cover estimates in forested
environments. The research, undertaken by Scarth et al. (in prep) and Scarth et
al. (2010a*), aims to de-couple the (long-term) trend and variable components
of the vegetation. This is achieved by analysing the minimum values for a time-
series of the green (photosynthetic) cover fraction derived from a spectral
unmixing technique developed for ground cover estimation. The approach
assumes that the trend component of the time-series is the perennial (wooded)
vegetation and the variable component the herbaceous understorey. The
outcomes of this research will lead to a more integrated vegetation cover
product and subject to validation, is likely to replace the FPC product in future.

Ground cover
The Ground Cover Index (GCI), originally developed by the RSC (Scarth et al.,
2006), describes the percentage of plant material that covers the underlying soil
or rock for areas of low wooded vegetation cover. The GCI and other estimates
of ground cover are fundamental to supporting Reef programs. For example,
one of the catchment condition targets for the Reef Plan is based on achieving
50% or greater ground cover maintenance for the late dry season in dry tropical
grazing lands. This target was reported on for the 2009 baseline by single date
application of the GCI in 2009 and also by assessing the long-term mean of the
GCI, applied to late dry season Landsat imagery from 1988-2009 (Figure 6).
The GCI, as described by Scarth et al. (2006) is also a key model input used by

9
the P2R Program and an indicator used for the land condition assessments
carried out for the Delbessie Agreement.

Figure 5. 2008 mosaic of wooded extent and FPC for Queensland and New South
Wales, Australia. Water and missing data are coloured blue. (Source: Kitchen et al.,
2010*)

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 Figure 6. An example of the GCI product for the Reef catchment area. The long term
(1986 – 2009) mean values of the GCI for the grazing areas are shown. (Source
Schmidt et al. 2010)

Spatial data on seasonal ground cover and ground cover in forested (woody)
areas has not been available in the past. This was a gap identified for Reef
monitoring, evaluation and reporting. In response to this, RSC/JRSRP have
been developing new methods for estimating cover fractions (Scarth et al., in
prep; Scarth et al., 2010a*; Schmidt et al., in prep; Schmidt et al., 2010a*) and
time-series compositing (Schmidt et al., 2010b*) based on all available Landsat
5 TM and Landsat 7 ETM+ imagery. The two methods for estimating ground

11
cover fractions include spectral unmixing techniques (Scarth et al., in prep;
Scarth et al., 2010a*) (Figure 7) and multinomial logistic regression (Schmidt et
al., in prep; Schmidt et al., 2010a*) (Figure 8). Both methods are currently being
assessed and validated by the RSC/JRSRP (Schmidt et al., 2010a*) for their
application in a range of environments. The benefits of cover fraction estimation
for the various Reef programs are great. It will improve cover estimates for
water quality models as part of the P2R Program. It can also be used for
improved land condition assessments and monitoring under Reef Regulation
and the Delbessie Agreement. It also has potential to be used in intensive
agricultural environments to monitor cover management practices and crop
cycles, particularly as more Landsat imagery becomes available through the
USGS. As previously mentioned, the method of (Scarth et al., in prep; Scarth et
al., 2010a*) allows for analysis of the trend and variable components in the
time-series dynamics of the cover fractions, allowing for identification of the
perennial wooded component of the green cover fraction. An advantage of this
integrated technique is that once the perennial wooded component is identified
and removed, the variable herbaceous understorey component remains, thus
providing estimates for ground cover in forested and woodland environments. In
terms of Reef programs, this will further improve the understanding of erosion
and cover dynamics for water quality models, and allow for improved monitoring
for regulatory and on-ground investment/extension activities.

Figure 7. Example of ground cover fractional methods derived from spectral unmixing
analysis applied to Landsat imagery. The top image is the Landsat scene (RGB 5, 4, 3)
and the bottom image is the derived cover fractions shown as R (bare), G
(photosynthetic cover) and B (non-photosynthetic cover). (Source: Scarth et al., in
prep)

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Figure 8. Example of ground cover fractional methods derived from multinomial logistic
regression applied to Landsat imagery. The top image is the Landsat scene (RGB 3, 2,
1). The centre image is the GCI (Scarth et al., 2006) where lighter colours represent
barer areas. The bottom image is the derived cover fractions shown as R (bare), G
(photosynthetic cover) and B (non-photosynthetic cover). (Source: DERM, 2010c)

Vegetation structure and biomass

The RSC, through a number of projects and collaborations, are involved in a
range of research using different sensor technologies (e.g. radar and LiDAR) to
monitor vegetation structure and biomass. Of particular interest is the work
undertaken in collaboration with the University of Aberystwyth, JAXA and others
using ALOS PALSAR for various terrestrial applications. For example, Accad et
al. (2010*), Lucas et al. (2010b*), Dhar et al. (2010*) and Clewly et al. (2010*)
have developed methods that utilise ALOS PALSAR for estimating regrowth,
above-ground biomass, pasture biomass, and forest structural characteristics,
respectively. These projects are improving landscape knowledge and RSC’s
capacity to process radar imagery with potential to support Reef projects,
particularly for land condition and resource accounting purposes. Also of
interest is some research being undertaken by Scarth et al. (2010b*). This work

13
has used ICESat/GLAS data to produce estimates of vegetation heights (Figure
9), depth and density at the scale of regional ecosystems. This can be used to
study vegetation dynamics in Reef catchments and as for cover, improve
modelling approaches which underpin land condition and water quality
assessments for Reef programs.

Figure 9. Vegetation 95 percentile height derived from ICESat over all

regional ecosystems (Source: Scarth et al., 2010b)

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Land condition monitoring in Reef catchments
Burnt area mapping
Fire can be a major contributor of sediment and nutrient to waterways, including
those draining to the Reef. It can be an indicator of landscape condition and
has implications for planning and development, understanding of ecological
processes, and climate change. The RSC has been undertaking research into
time-series approaches using the Landsat archive to identify and map burnt
area. The research, undertaken by Goodwin et al. (2010*), is developing
automated approaches for delineation of cloud, cloud shadow and burnt area
(Figure 10). The burnt area classification uses indices based on Landsat bands
4 and 5 and analyses these over three different temporal scales. The outputs
from the project have major benefits for the pre-processing required (i.e. cloud,
shadow and fire masking) for imagery used for many of the RSC’s products
(e.g. ground cover and FPC). The burnt area mapping is likely to be of value for
Reef-related programs. For example, the water quality modelling for the P2R
Program. There is also significant interest in the burnt area mapping for use in
operational and NRM regional fire planning initiatives.

Figure 10. Example of the burnt area mapping. The image on the left shows burnt
areas where darker colours represent burnt pixels. The image on the right shows the
burnt area classification in red. Imagery: Landsat TM RGB (5, 4, 2) (Source: Goodwin
et al., 2010*)

Gully monitoring
Gullies have been identified as major contributors of sediment to waterways
draining to Reef catchments. They also have detrimental effects on land
condition and agricultural sustainability. Reef programs have identified gullies
as a priority for restoration and prevention activities and for monitoring and
evaluation to try to better understand gully geomorphologic processes and
sediment loads. The RSC has been undertaking a number of projects to help

15
address these priorities. Eustace et al. (2008) used LiDAR data, captured in
2007, to map gully presence and volume in the Fitzroy catchment. This
information was then used in a modelling approach to extrapolate gully
presence across the catchment (Eustace et al., in press). The approach had
limited success due to the scale and quality of the input data used in the model
and the complexity of the landscape. Another project that is currently being
undertaken is utilising the LiDAR data for the research undertaken by Eustace
et al. (2008). For selected transects, two additional dates of LiDAR (2008 and
2010) have been captured to analyse change in gully extent and volume over
time. The project has highlighted the issues with comparing LiDAR data for
change detection in terms of both accuracy and sensor characteristics. The
second capture (2008) was not of suitable quality to undertake direct
comparisons with the 2007 dataset. However, the third LiDAR capture, acquired
in June 2010, was captured and processed in accordance with international
specifications, and can therefore be directly compared to the original capture in
2007. Preliminary analysis shows extremely large areas of gully change in
some areas (Figure 11). Further analysis will be undertaken and reported in the
near future.

Figure 11. LiDAR data showing gully change for an area (approx. 400m2) in the Fitzroy
catchment. The darker areas (black, green) show the greatest depth. The image on
the left was captured in 2007, the image on the right, in 2010.

The RSC/JRSRP have also been undertaking a project in the Burdekin

catchment as part of Reef Plan and Reef Rescue monitoring and evaluation.
This has been an extension of the work in the Fitzroy, with the capture of 15
new LiDAR transects, targeted primarily over gullied areas which are the
subject of on-ground monitoring and/or investment for restoration for Reef
programs. Gully volume and extent will be mapped from these data using
object-oriented and rule-based DEM extraction methods. A further capture is
planned to monitor change for these sites. In addition to this work, research has
been undertaken to investigate the use of object-oriented techniques applied to
SPOT 5 imagery for mapping gully location and extent. This work is having

16
limited success as gullied areas have diverse spectral and spatial
characteristics and because object-oriented software has limitations when
processing multiple landscape-scale image sources.

Land use and land management practices

Queensland Land Use Mapping Program (QLUMP)
A major program of the RSC is the Queensland Land Use Mapping Program
(QLUMP) (Grounds and Tindall, 2010* http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/science/lump/index.html).
The QLUMP is providing fundamental information on land use and land use
change across Reef catchments for all Reef programs. The QLUMP has
mapped land use at regional scale for 1999 to create a baseline for all Reef
catchments and the rest of Queensland (Witte et al., 1999) (Figure 12). Some
Reef catchments have been mapped to 2004/06, thus providing areal land use
change statistics for the period 1999-2004/06. Currently, the QLUMP is
undertaking mapping for all Reef catchments to 2009, including improvements
to 1999 and 2004 mapping, and delineation of land use change areas for the
respective mapping eras (i.e. 99-04/06, 99-09, 04/06-09) (Figure 13). The
mapping process utilises high-resolution imagery (e.g. SPOT 5), comparative
time-series analysis, expert knowledge and ancillary data in an ESRI
Geodatabase vector environment to delineate land use in accordance with the
Australian Land Use Mapping classification
(http://adl.brs.gov.au/mapserv/landuse/index.cfm?fa=app.classes&tab=classification). These data
are providing a foundation for targeting regulatory and extension activates
relating to land use and management practice change and as a key input in the
modelling undertaken in the P2R Program. These data also form part of the of
the Australian Collaborative Land Use and Management Program
(http://adl.brs.gov.au/mapserv/landuse/). A further update of the mapping, including
change, is planned for 2013.

Land management practices

The primary aim of Reef programs is to influence land management practice
change. Remote sensing has the potential to map and monitor selected land
management practices. This includes practices that result in a land cover
change, such as crop planting or harvesting. These changes may be identified
by analysing a time-series of imagery. Other land management practices that
have a unique pattern, texture or shape may also be mapped, in particular
where high resolution imagery is available. These practices include, for
example, contour banks, strip cropping, controlled traffic farming and centre
pivot irrigation. RSC/JRSRP have a range of research projects supporting Reef
programs which are either directly or indirectly addressing changes in land
management practices.

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Figure 12. Land use map for Queensland, 1999.

18
Figure 13. Current status of QLUMP updates

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Pringle et al. (2008) demonstrated the use of statistical analysis of time-series
NDVI in MODIS imagery for monitoring broadacre crop extents and rotations.
Their research attempted to map cropping areas and identify the cropping
periods, as well as crop types. The results showed that when compared with
field data, seasonal cropping patterns could be mapped with some certainty
(kappa = 0.66) (Figure 14). Predicting crop types was less certain (kappa =
0.56). This was partly due to a lack of field-based information of actual cropping
rotations and the scale of the MODIS pixels relative to the size of a cropping
field. To respond to these limitations, the use of archival USGS Landsat
imagery is being researched. The aim of this research is to adapt the methods
of Pringle et al. (2008) to Landsat imagery for monitoring broadacre crop
rotations and also ground cover management practices in sugar cane crops.
Sugar cane is one of the key target industries included in the Reef Protection
Act. This research is also likely to incorporate radar imagery to address the
issues of cloud in optical imagery in tropical regions and investigate structural
changes in sugar cane crops. Further, the research will investigate the ground
cover fractional products (Scarth et al., in prep; Scarth et al., 2010a*; Schmidt
et al., in prep; Schmidt et al., 2010a*) in a time-series to assess the suitability of
these products for monitoring cropping cycles and ground cover management
practices. If successful, the work will be extended to other agricultural industries
and could form the basis of a crop monitoring and mapping program to support
Reef programs, thus augmenting the QLUMP.

Regular cotton

Regular cotton + opportunistic winter

Regular summer (other)

Regular winter

Opportunistic summer (other)

Opportunistic winter

Opp. summer (other) + opp. winter

20 km

Figure 14. Example of crop mapping using MODIS imagery for an area near Emerald.
By using time-series, cropping rotations are able to be predicted for seasonal
practices. (Source: Pringle et al., 2008)

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Conclusion
The Great Barrier Reef is of international environmental, social and economic
significance. The recent responses by governments in recognition of this
significance and the need to protect the Reef, has resulted in a range of
research and monitoring activities being initiated. These activities have
presented a unique and exciting challenge to the RSC and its partners in the
JRSRP and other collaborative research programs. This has included
monitoring vegetation cover dynamics, and mapping and monitoring of land use
and selected land management practices. Results from these projects suggest
that remote sensing has an important role to play in supporting legislation,
policies and programs implemented for the protection of the Reef. However,
there remain challenges for remote sensing to continue to respond to and
support these programs. These challenges include the implementation of
research outcomes in operational programs (e.g. broadacre crop rotations),
extending applications to the estuarine and marine environments, making
efficient use of new imagery and image acquisition programs, and ensuring
research efforts are not duplicated and stakeholders are informed of both the
benefits and limitations of the science. Much of the RSC/JRSRP research
supporting Reef programs has its origins in well established mapping and
monitoring programs. It is the foundation that these programs have built over
time which has enabled the RSC and its partners to respond to these new
challenges. This includes, in particular, the rigorous efforts and investment that
have been made in data storage and maintenance, processing systems and
image corrections, and knowledge and skills retention. With this foundation as a
basis and ongoing commitment from governments, the research will continue to
improve scientific knowledge and thus make important contributions for guiding
investment, and supporting policy development and legislation for the protection
and conservation of the Great Barrier Reef.

Acknowledgements
Many people are involved in the various Reef programs. Their assistance,
support, and contributions are greatly appreciated and acknowledged. The
continued support of staff in DERM and Premiers Department is also
acknowledged. In particular, Paul Lawrence, Ken Brook, John Mullins, Christine
Williams, Chris Carroll, Nyssa Henry, Bob Speirs, Doug Yuille, Chris Chinn and
Ross Searle. Lindsay Brebber and his team are acknowledged for their ongoing
support and advice with data storage and processing systems. Greg Payne and
his team are acknowledged for their support with QLUMP and data distribution.
Finally, this paper is a summary of the research of the many people, past and
present, from the RSC/JRSRP and its collaborators. Individually and
collectively, their contribution to science and natural resource management is
immeasurable and they are all sincerely thanked and acknowledged for their
efforts.
A number of the projects described in this paper were supported through
funding from the Queensland Government’s Q2 Coasts and Country program.

21
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